1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to user interfaces and, more particularly, to visual interfaces to mobile subscriber account services, including billing and customer service requests, wherein the visual interfaces to mobile subscriber account services are provided through mobile devices with a small screen over wireless data networks.
2. Description of the Related Art
One of the most pressing problems facing mobile service providers is delivering cost-effective mobile subscriber account services to create and maintain positive relationships with users of mobile devices. These account services may include providing the users or subscribers with updated account information, such as a rate plan, a bill due date, a prepaid balance, etc. Account services may also including handling subscriber service requests such as subscription additions, changes, and terminations.
To provide efficient means for the subscribers to use account services, many mobile service providers have established human-staffed call centers to allow the subscribers to call in and inquire about their accounts or place service requests. These traditional call centers provide convenience to their customers, but place considerable overhead onto the mobile service providers. To minimize the cost of providing mobile subscriber account services to their customers, some mobile service providers also use automated interactive voice response (IVR) systems such that the subscribers may interact with the automated interactive voice response systems to retrieve desired information or place service requests.
In a wireless communication environment, the automated interactive voice response systems may not be cost-effective. Generally, the mobile service providers have to provide a toll free number for their subscribers to interact with the interactive voice response systems. The wireless circuit connection time of a mobile phone to an interactive voice response system (the xe2x80x9cairtimexe2x80x9d) costs a few dollars per minute and can potentially be very costly to the service providers that service a larger number of mobile customers. Furthermore, many automated interactive voice response systems in use today have complex structured menus with pre-determined choices that must be listened to and then selected by pressing a predefined key in the keypad of a mobile phone, in order to move to a next or desired choice. Such audio based hierarchical systems are often difficult to navigate, and thus, frustrate subscribers. There is, therefore, a great need for mobile service providers to provide a mechanism that allows mobile subscribers to easily access the mobile subscriber account services at anytime, from anywhere, without incurring significant additional cost to the mobile service providers.
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above described problems and needs, and has particular applicability to customers using two-way interactive communication devices capable of communicating with a server device over a wireless data network. The two-way interactive communication devices, referred to as mobile or client devices, include but are not limited to personal digital assistant (PDA) like portable devices, cellular phones, and wireless capable remote controllers. Such mobile devices typically have much less computing resources than a desktop or laptop computer does. Mobile devices have a small display screen and a phone keypad for a user to interact with the server device to access mobile subscriber account services, as opposed to a full power computer that has a full screen and a functional keyboard along with a mouse. A small form factor is very important for maintaining the size, weight, power requirements, usability and mobility of the mobile devices.
The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for providing visual interfaces to mobile subscriber account services suitable for the client devices that communicate, via the wireless data network, with a remotely located server device. The server device (also referred to as proxy server herein), generally controlled by a wireless service carrier, provides the mobile subscriber with account services such as user account information and user controllable service requests, such as switching from one calling plan to another. The direct visual interface to the mobile subscriber account services of the present invention allows mobile subscribers to efficiently, visually and interactively, access desired information and place service requests. This can be done through the limited screen and phone keypad, at anytime, from anywhere, with limited costs to the service provider and maximum convenience to mobile subscribers.
Other objects, together with the foregoing are attained in the exercise of the invention in the following description and resulting in the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings.